Shoveling snow is possibly the reason why men tend to suffer from heart attack after a snowfall, findings of a new study by Canadian researchers have revealed.

Study researcher Nathalie Auger, from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center, and colleagues looked at the data of 128,073 heart attacks that occurred between November and April from the years 1981 to 2014. Over this period, the researchers identified more than 68,000 deaths and found a slight increase in heart attacks and deaths from heart attacks after a storm.

Increased Death And Heart Attack Risk After Heavy Snowfalls

Researchers likewise noticed that 60 percent of the hospital admissions and deaths were due to heart attack in men suggesting that the risk of heart attack and hospitalization in men was heavier following heavy snowfalls with the highest risk occurring on the day after a snowfall and after snowfalls that last between two and three days.

Men were found to have 16 percent higher risk of getting admitted to the hospital and 34 percent higher risk of dying from heart attack after snowfalls than in days that did not have snow. No link between snowfalls and raised heart attack risk, however, was seen in women.

Shoveling Snow And Increased Heart Attack Risk

Researchers noted that men are more likely than women to shovel after heavy snowfalls which could mean that shoveling may have something to do with the increased risk of heart attack in men after a snowfall. The findings back up what has long been suspected in the medical community.

"Up to now, there was a theoretical risk that snow shoveling can increase heart attack at a population level," Auger said. "With this study, we are now more certain that snowfall is linked with heart attack in individuals."

Why Shoveling Is Bad For The Heart

Shoveling snow is not a daily activity. It also strains the heart since people tend to exhale hard with their mouths closed while lifting heavy shovel of snow, a habit known as Valsalva maneuver.

Using the arms intensively and repetitively while standing upright may also boot risk that a piece will break off from a clogged artery. Cold temperatures likewise cause blood vessels to constrict which exacerbates danger.

"We suspect that shoveling was the main mechanism linking snowfall with [heart attack]," the researchers said. "Snow shoveling is a demanding cardiovascular exercise requiring more than 75 percent of the maximum heart rate, particularly with heavy loads."

Auger and colleagues acknowledged that the study did not prove a causal effect and the research, which was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Feb. 13, lacked data on sex-specific shoveling habits, manner of snow removal and size of the areas shoveled. Nonetheless, they said that the theory of shoveling being linked to increased heart attack risk in men remains plausible.

Auger and colleagues recommended public education campaigns that can alert people about the potential risk of heart attack following a snowfall and the need to be cautious about shoveling particularly among those who already have existing health problems.